When Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died, he left half of his estate – estimated to be worth around £20m to £30m at the time – to Mary Austin, his best friend and former fiancée. Now, Austin has finally spoken out about receiving millions from the rock star after his death and how the vast inheritance has actually “been really difficult” to manage over the years.
The now 80-year-old became engaged to Mercury in the 1970s, but the pair split when Mercury told her he was gay. They stayed friends, with Austin taking on the job as Mercury’s personal assistant, and the pair remained close until the Queen star’s death aged 45 from bronchial pneumonia related to his AIDS diagnosis in 1991.
